Table 5 

 Iceberg Reconnaissance Sorties 



Month Sorties Flight Hours 



319.9 



is due to the ability of the SLAR and FLAR to 

 detect and differentiate icebergs in all weather, 

 combined with use of the iceberg drift and 

 deterioration computer model to track icebergs 

 in-between sightings. 



Both the number of flight hours and sor- 

 ties were greater in 1997 than in 1996. The 

 total number of flight hours increased from 

 449.1 hours in 1996 to 483.1 in 1997. The 

 number of sorties increased from 1 03 in 1 996 

 to 112 in 1997. These increases reflect the 

 greater extent of the geographic limits of the 

 icebergs to the east of Flemish Cap and the 

 Grand Banks during 1997. 



Each day during the ice season IIP pre- 

 pared and distributed ice bulletins at OOOOZ 

 and 1 200Z to warn mariners of the southwest- 

 ern, southern, and southeastern limits of ice- 

 bergs. U. S. Coast Guard Communications 

 Station Boston, Massachusetts, NMF/NIK, 

 and Canadian Coast Guard Radio Station St. 

 John's NewfoundlandA/ON were the primary 

 radio stations responsible for the dissemina- 

 tion of the Ice bulletins. In addition, the ice 



bulletins and safety broadcasts were deliv- 

 ered over the INMARSAT-C SafetyNet via the 

 AOR-W satellite. Other transmitting stations 

 for the bulletins included METOC Halifax, 

 Nova Scotia/CFH, Canadian Coast Guard 

 Radio Station SydneyA/CO, and Radio Sta- 

 tion Bracknel, UK/GFE. 



IIP also prepared a daily facsimile chart, 

 depicting the limits of all known ice, for broad- 

 cast at 1600Z and 1810Z daily. In addition, 

 the facsimile chart was placed on Comsat 

 Corp's INMARSAT-A FAXMAIL Server for re- 

 ceipt at sea. U. S. Coast Guard Communica- 

 tions Area Master Station Atlantic/NMN as- 

 sisted with the transmission of these charts. 

 Canadian Coast Guard Radio Station St. 

 John's NewfoundlandA/ON and U. S. Coast 

 Guard Communications Area Master Station 

 Atlantic/NMN also provided special broad- 

 casts as required. 



As in previous years. International Ice 

 Patrol requested that all ships transiting the 

 area of the Grand Banks report ice sightings, 

 weather, and sea surface temperatures via 

 Canadian Coast Guard Radio Station St. 

 John's/VON, U. S. Coast Guard Communica- 

 tions Area Master Station Atlantic/NMN, or 

 INMARSAT-C or -A using code 42. Response 

 to this request is shown in Table 6. Appendix 

 B lists all contributors. IIP received relayed 

 information from the following sources during 

 the 1997 Ice year: Canadian Coast Guard 

 Marine Radio Station St. John's/VON; Cana- 

 dian Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Centre/Ice 

 Operations St. John's; Ice Centre Ottawa; 

 Canadian Coast Guard Marine Communica- 

 tion and Traffic Services Halifax, Nova Scotia/ 

 VCS; ECAREG Halifax, Nova Scotia; U. S. 

 Coast Guard Communications Master Station 

 Atlantic, Chesapeake, Virginia; U. S. Coast 

 Guard Atlantic Area Command Center; and 

 U. S. Coast Guard Automated Merchant 



10 



